The Little Huntress
by La Petite Rouge
Summary: ALL HUMAN. Rose Hathaway is a runaway girl who finds a new dangerous part of herself after meeting Adrian Ivashkov. What happens when five years after she ran away, the one and only Dimitri Belikov, Russian mobster is forced into her life? This will be a Rose/Dimitri story! lemony
1. The Escape

Rose POV

I could not believe this was happening. I snuck out of my house to go to a party that my friend Mia had suggested. She knew I was really down on myself lately since Jesse and I broke up. I just could not believe he had cheated on me and had the balls to lie to my face when I saw it myself.

_"Ohhh yeah baby! mhhmmm, fuck! Harder baby!" some girl's voice came from my phone after I answered Jesse's call. This cannot be what I think. He would never do that to- _

_"Fuck babe you feel so good!" my train of thought got interrupted by none other than Jesse's voice. I look over at Mia who is sitting right next to me and can hear everything that is going on. We both just stare at each other in horror until Jesse speaks again. "Turn around and get on all fours." "Ahh bab-" the girl's voice is interrupted by my shriek. "JESSE FUCKING ZEKLOS WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" _

_"SHIT" is all that reaches my ears before everyone is quiet. Silent tears stream down my face and Mia looks like she is about to go over to Jesse and tear him a new one. "Babe I swear it's not what you think. I... uh we were just...I sw-" "Stop." I cut him off before I could hear him say anything else. _

_"Fuck. You. Jesse. We are done, got it? Done. Don't call me again- I never want to hear your voice for as long as I live." I could see Mia staring at me, eyes tearing up, full of pity._

_"Babe ple-" Mia took my phone and slammed the end call button, making sure I never had to hear what he was going to say. I was so grateful for her. We sat there in silence for what felt like hours, but must have only seen a couple of minutes._

_"Rose...are you okay?" Mia practically whispers at me, knowing that I am about to break. I shake my head, "No. I don't think I am" and I broke down into sobs. Mia sat with me the rest of the night, holding me as I cried myself to sleep, wondering why I wasn't good enough for him. The next day in school, he came up to me saying nothing happened and it must have been a dream or my imagination. He had no idea Mia was there with me so the look on his face when she punched him square in the jaw was priceless._

And now here he was, walking up to me as I sat at the makeshift bar at some party I never intended on coming to in the first place. Mia had left me temporarily to go dance with some guy after I told her I would be fine.

As he walked up to me, I noticed all the things I had loved about him: the bad-boy vibe he naturally gives off, with his short blonde locks, gray-blue eyes and muscular body. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a dark green button-down shirt; everything he wore screamed money. He was easily the hottest guy at school, but now his looks repulsed me. I looked down at myself, thinking that I looked okay, but when I saw Jesse's eyes taking me in I knew I looked great. I had on a tight black dress with a halter top, not showing too much cleavage, but with how tight it was I did not need it to. It hugged everywhere down to mid-thigh. I had on gold bangles and a pair of black stilettos. My hair was down in soft waves and curled at the end by my butt. I had on light makeup, going for the natural feel, but with bright red lipstick.

"Hey baby, you dress up just for me?" Jesse said as soon as he was in front of me. I was looking anywhere but him, so he grabbed my chin and raised my face so I would have to look him in the eyes. His grip was light but still rough at the same time, telling me he was in control. But there was no way I was having any of that.

I ripped my jaw from his hold and sneered, "Like I would do anything for you. Go find the whore you were fucking the other night." I knew it probably wasn't a good idea to anger him, but I couldn't help it. I stood up to walk away when he grabbed my arm. "You aren't going anywhere. You are going to sit here and listen to me" Jesse growled at me, his fingers digging deeper into my skin. His eyes blazed with anger and I knew the rumors about him having a temper.

I really didn't want to start anything so I just meekly nodded.

Jesse let out his 1000 watt smile- one I used to adore, but now it made me nauseous. "Good babe. You're learning. Now stay here while I go get you and myself a drink. I think we will both be needing one." He said as he walked me over to the couch. He winked at me when He finished and I got the urge to run as far away from him as I possibly could, but in the heels and already a couple of shots in me, I knew I would not get far.

While Jesse walked away, I slid off my shoes and found Mia. As soon as she saw me she knew something was wrong. She came running over to me, leaving whoever she was dancing with. "Sweety! What is the matter? Are you okay?" she asked me rapidly. She noticed how my eyes kept flickering towards where Jesse was and the bruises that were already beginning to form on my arm. Her eyes widened and she nodded. "Give me one second okay sweety?" She said, and I just nodded, not knowing how my voice would work at the moment.

Mia ran over to the guy she was dancing with before and murmured something in his ear. His face turned serious and with a swift nod he headed towards Jesse while Mia ran back to me.

"Don't worry, I just asked Micky there to distract him for a while, let's get out of here." Mia said as she grabbed my handed and started dragging me towards the door. Luckily Jesse never noticed and I was already in the car with Mia on my way home.

"Do you want to talk about it?" my friend asked me, knowing not to push it. I just shook my head as silent tears ran down my face. We drove the rest of the way in silence.

Once we stopped in front of my house Mia turned to me, sadness and understanding glinting in her eyes. "You're leaving aren't you?" she whispered quietly making me look down at my fidgeting hands. She just nodded when I didn't answer.

"It's okay, I understand. I know there is a possibility you won't go, but I have a feeling that tonight is the last time I am going to see you for a while. I just want to say... I love you and you have been the best friend I could ever ask for. I hope to see you again someday." When she finished her speech we both had tears silently rolling down our cheeks. She reached over, kissed my hair and gave me a small goodbye hug. I never planned on running away but for some reason I had a feeling in my gut that I would be leaving tonight. "I love you too Mia. Thank you... For everything." I said quietly as I opened the door to her car and got out.

As soon as I got in the house, I knew there would be trouble. The kitchen light was on and that could only mean one thing: mom as home and she knows I was out.

Before I could get a step into the hallway, she was there. Janine Hathaway, the best bodyguard one could ask for and assigned to the mayor of this shitty town in Montana.

"Where the hell have you been Rosemarie?" She half growled half shouted at me. I knew I should be grateful to have only one parent who can punish me, but I wasn't. Not when I knew nothing about my father and just assumed that he hated me and didn't want me so that is why he left. Mom never did anything to let me know so naturally, I assumed the worst.

"Having the second worst night of my life, if you must know. _Janine._" I responded, knowing it would infuriate her that I called her by her first name, but that is what she gets by calling me by Rosemarie instead of Rose.

I know she sees everything: my bloodshot eyes, the bruises on my arms, the heels in my hand, and my tear-stained face. She does nothing to acknowledge my pain. All she does is make it worse.

"You are grounded for two months. Get to bed. _Now._" I stared at her in disbelief. How could she really not love me enough to care about me? But then I remind myself that she never has. She never cared for me and never will.

"Fine. Sorry, _Mother._" I spat the word at her, but she just stares at me stone-faced. I go to my room and slam the door, lying on my bed.

My sobs are louder now, deafening in the silence of my room. After a while, I know what I have to do. I grab a two big duffel bags and start.

I pack my favorite clothes, a pair of sneakers and a pair of heels, and some jewelry I might need. After shoving my hair brush, toothbrush and toothpaste into the side compartment of one bad I look around for my money. I get it from my jewelry box, the spot behind my mirror, taped under my bureau, and from behind a pile of stuffed animals. I never knew when mom might come in and take it, deciding I am too irresponsible to hold such cash. I finally grab my wallet with my license and debit card and head downstairs. As quietly as possible I grab my keys and head out the door, knowing I didn't wake mom because I was still breathing and not having her dig a six foot whole to bury me in for sneaking out again.

As soon as I started my car, I got out of there and headed for the bus station, knowing she would track my car.

As soon as I got there I got a one way ticket to Portland. The attendant looked at me strangely but it was probably because my makeup was black eyeliner and mascara with deep purple lipstick that complemented my skin tone very well, plus I was in a to-die-for outfit. I had changed from my sexy dress to a pair of black, high waisted skinny jeans with rips all up the legs, a light pink crop top that showed more than a little skin, and killer black leather jacket with my favorite pair of combat boots.

As soon as the bus came I hopped up and got on, not knowing what I was going to do next. I settled in my seat as the bus began moving. I wished I hadn't tossed my phone so I could at least listen to some music, but I knew my mom had GPS enabled on it and I did NOT want to be found.

I stayed awake for half an hour until my exhaustion caught up to me.

As I woke up, I noticed the sun was up really high. I checked my watch and noticed I had slept for... 11 HOURS?! Wow I knew I was tired but I didn't think I was that tired. Only 30 minutes to go, I told myself as I let out a big yawn.

The rest of the trip was rather short and as I stepped off the bus, I noticed just how nice it was here. Then it hit me. _What am I going to do?_ I mean sure I have enough for a while, but not forever. Oh god, what am I going to do?

I was standing outside the bus terminal with most likely a look filled with fear when I heard a chuckle from behind me. Keeping a hold on my bags, I turn to face the man who chuckled, and boy was I glad I did. He had beautiful hair, styled artfully messy, with emerald green eyes that shined and a devilish smirk that entranced and unnerved me at the same time. He was dressed in black slacks, a button down gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow while he smoked clove cigarettes.

From the look on his face he knew I was checking him out, but I was not going to embarrass myself. I am Rose Hathaway! Nobody fucks with me! I give him my best death glare and by the way he seemed to pale a few shades, but kept the smirk I knew it was pretty effective.

"You are a feisty one. I like it." He said looking me up and down. I would say he was checking me out, but it was more than that. He looked like he was assessing me. What the hell could this creep want?

Not knowing what to do I did what I am known for, gave him my sarcastic smile and snarkiest attitude. "Well unless you are going to stand here undressing me with your eyes all day, then I have somewhere to be" I snapped at him. He did not appear phased at all. "I know you have nowhere to go Little Huntress. But I do think you could be a valuable asset to me. Come with me and you won't have to worry about anything from your old life." He looks at me expectantly when he finishes talking. Like I am going to bow down and swear loyalty to his creepy ass. Yeah that will happen when Hell freezes over.

He let out a full laugh and I realized that I accidentally poke my thoughts out loud. I looked down embarrassed. I was intrigued by his idea but I have no clue who this guy is.

He seemed to know what I was thinking when he spoke again. "Don't worry Little Huntress I will take care of you. You're one of my girls now. You can tell me your story on the way."

I look at him trying to see if he was giving off any creepy vibes but he didn't. Before agreeing I had one question, "Little Huntress?" I was wondering where he came up with that name, and was not expecting the answer I got.

"I have a feeling you hunt boys and eat them for breakfast, plus in the future I know you will truly earn the name Little Huntress." He winked at me and had a sly smile on his face. Like He was predicting my answer, which I guess he was.

"Okay," I sighed," lets head off to whatever hell you want to bring down on me."

He chuckled and I thought I heard him say under his breath, "More like the hell you will bring down on other people, Little Huntress."

I had no idea how right he would be.


	2. The Wild Girl

Dimitri POV

_Bzzzzz Bzzzzz Bzzzzz Bzzzzz_

"О мой гребаный бог _[Oh my fucking god]_" I growled into my pillow. Why the fuck was someone calling me at... 3 in the morning?! Someone better be dying. If not, well they will be soon.

"Belikov." I snapped gruffly at the person the other end of the phone, not bothering to check the caller ID. After who answered next I knew I should have.

"Belikov." The thick Turkish accent reached my ears and registered immediately. I could tell he was not pleased by my greeting. Shit, that is so not how I want to treat Ibrahim Mazur. "Змей, что я обязан этим приятным вызов? _[Zmey, what do I owe this pleasant call?]_" I ask him, trying to keep my tone polite and not harsh. I may be a big mob-boss in Russia, but when it came to Zmey, everything anyone did seemed like childsplay.

He quickly answered back in English, making me think he had someone with him that he wanted to understand what we were saying. "I have a job for you Belikov. You are the perfect man for the job. And I know you will succeed." His tone became deadly and I knew then that there was no way I could turn him down even if I wanted to. "Why am I the perfect man for this job, Zmey?" I reply, wanting to know what was so special that he was actually _calling_ me in for help. I mean I have specialties, but I do not think that Abe Mazur could not find someone on my skill level.

"Because this mission is everything," he speaks in a voice so low and cold my heart almost misses a beat,"plus you are the best tracker I know and the only man I know I can trust to not completely fuck it up." He lets out a chuckle, but its dry and holds no humor. I reply easily, "Yes, sir. What is it I need to do?" With what Abe said next I am sure I must have missed what he said. "I'm sorry can you repeat that, sir?" I asked to make sure.

He growled lowly, "I said, Belikov, pack your bags. You're going to the United States. While you are there you will be tracking and looking for a girl. She is 21 now and will not be happy you are there. I have had people looking for this girl for 5 years, but finally got a lead. I know that you will find her the quickest, if at all. Her name is Rosemarie Hathaway. I will text you a picture from 5 years ago. You will be leaving at 5. Call me when you arrive." He abruptly hung up.

"Crazy fucking mobster." I muttered as I got up and started packing.

I packed the necessities, some clothes and a few of my western books. I hope I have a chance to read them. As soon as I finished, my phone dinged with a text. The picture Abe sent me was of a beautiful young girl with extremely dark brown hair, soft brown eyes, and exotic skin color. If I didn't know any better I would say she looked like Zmey, but that's impossible. I quickly shook that thought out of my head.

Less than 20 minutes later, Pavel, one of Abe's guards, showed up and gave me a ride to the airport. He didn't speak until we got there. He turned around and looked me dead in the eye, "Don't mess this up."

I made my way through security and as I got to the terminal, they were already boarding the plane. Great...12 hours on a plane.

I slept through most of the flight, and finally woke up when we landed.

I spent the whole day walking around Portland, getting a feel and looking around for any evidence of this mysterious girl.

After turning up empty handed, I headed out to a bar, The Court, it was called. I had seen it earlier and knew it was close to my hotel so it did not seem like a bad choice.

I walked in, not looking around much and headed to the bar where a black haired woman was serving drinks. Her piercing blue eyes intrigued me, but the scar from her temple to her jaw line was what really interested me. She was beautiful, but so not my type.

"Russian vodka?" I ask as she comes over to me, hoping that they had anything strong enough to hold me over.

The raven haired woman gave me a sky smile, "Well someone needs a kick after leaving their homeland. I'll bring it right over." She walked away with a sway of her hips.

I gave her a small smirk, wondering how much she actually knew of Russia. As she came back over with a shot glass and a bottle she stuck her hand out to me. "Natasha Ozera, but call me Tasha," she introduced herself.

"Belikov. Dimitri Belikov." I shook her hand and got the pleasure of watching her eyes widen a little as she recognized my name before putting a smirk on her face.

"Well Dimka, I'm sure your Russian reputation precedes you." I was shocked she knew not only my Russian nickname, but quite a bit about what I am known for. This girl was smarter than I thought.

"I assure you Tasha, everything my reputation says is true." I wink at her and get out my wallet. "I'll see you around, Tasha" I said as I threw some money down on the bar. It was now midnight in the end of summer. The air was comfortably warm and almost nobody was out at this time of night. I was looking forward to going back to my hotel to have a quiet night when I heard it. A whimper.

I listened closer now and turned into an alley way when I heard it again. "Please, I swear I will, don't hurt me," the male was whimpering as a girl was standing over him. Her sleek black motorcycle was two feet from her and the man, idling. Waiting for her to return. She had crazy red hair that didn't look quite natural on her, but I didn't have time to focus on it. The girl had black painted on jeans with a pair of sleek shiny combat boots and a leather jacket. She looked deadly and I didn't doubt she had quite a lot of blood on her hands. She spun something around in her fingers and I stood there as she murmured to the man quietly, but the man's eyes kept widening with every word telling me she was not saying anything nice. I didn't move until I saw her swipe out with whatever was in her hand and heard the sharp scream of the man.

"HEY! What is going on?" I yelled at her. She looked at me bored and put up a hand, as if to tell me to stop moving. I pause for a moment, but I know I must get closer. I take another step when she throws whatever was in her hand at me. She didn't throw it too hard but it was hard enough that it got pretty deep in my shoulder, even through my duster. I looked to see what she fit stuck in me when I saw it was a throwing star, a shuriken I think it was called. When I looked up again, she said something to the man whose appearance was still unknown to me as he was in the dark of the alley. She looked over her shoulder at me as I took her weapon out of me shoulder, shrugged, out her sleek black helmet on and hopped on her bike. Without a glance back she spun off on her bike.

Who the hell was this girl? She seems cold and heartless and dangerous.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I saw the man who was with her. I stalked over to him and finally got a closer look. His appearance surprised me. He might have been handsome once, but not anymore. His expensive clothes were torn and ripped, blood coming from tears in his shirt and jeans isn't what caught my attention. It was his face.

The man had deep cuts and gashes all over his face, but the R carved in his cheek particularly caught my attention. "Who was that girl?" I asked the man harshly. He looked horrified that I was asking about the girl and not him. One look at me though and the man decided it might be smart to answer me.

"O-o-one of A-Adrian's," is all he got out before he began sobbing. I sighed, knowing this guy probably deserved to die. But why didn't she kill him?

"Boy, what did she want?" I asked harshly, trying to get an answer. "I-I-I owe mo-money to Adrian." He tells me as his sobs become quiet.

"A name." I said to him quietly, looking down the street. "What?" the beaten man squeaked out looking confused.

"What is her name? The girl who did this," I ask again. When he doesn't answer I turn to glare at him.

"V-Venatrix is what they call her," he said quickly after seeing how serious I was.

Why would she carve an R into this man's cheek? Wouldn't it be a V for her name, or an A for this Adrian he owes money to?

"Where does this Adrian live?" I ask and I can see the fear in his eyes. I must find out who this girl is and maybe have this Adrian help me find the girl I was sent here for.


	3. The Annoying Russian

Rose POV

"You ready sweetheart? I got a job for you. It's not as fun as you usually like, but I think you will enjoy it either way" Adrian said to me after I picked up the phone. "Finally, I'm getting bored" I replied, getting up to check the clock. 10 o'clock at night. Not too late for some fun.

"Aww Little Huntress, are you bored to death without my company?" Adrian chuckled, laughing at the thought of me being so dependent on me. God, over my dead body.

"Of course, I just can't survive without you next to me or doing your dirty work. Without you my life is empty." Adrian just laughed at my sarcastic response, knowing full well I found tons of fun without him.

I just needed information and I could go. "Give me a name and what he did."

"Ralf Trent. Owes me money. A lot of it," Adrian said briskly, knowing I would want to get to business soon. "I'll deal with it. I'll give you details later." I knew it got him excited when I got to his place and gave him all the hot details.

I got up and headed into my closet. I knew this guy. Trent was a douchebag who liked to play with girls, beat them and leave them. I've been waiting for a chance to get some revenge on him.

I went for my usual outfit and when I looked in the mirror I was surprised to see myself staring back at me. I had on my dark black skinny jeans that made my body look okay, to me. I had on a plain black tank top tucked in with my black leather jacket it over. I grabbed my belt and hooked it threw my pants. As I walked over to my closest I thought of which ones would be best for this guy. I looked at my wall and picked out my five favorites, each with a beautiful intricate R on the surface of the blade. I also grabbed two of my shurikens, not my best but definitely one of my favorite weapons. I put my babies in my belt and took one last look in my mirror. Putting all my hair up, I put the final touch on: a deep red wig with long straight hair. Grabbing my riding helmet, I walked out of my apartment not bothering to lock the door. It may be a really bad neighborhood, but the people around here know me. They would not do anything.

I hopped on my bike and made the girl roar. I sped off to the bar I know he likes. As I got there I slowed down and saw him there in the alley. I rode my bike down and stopped suddenly. He looked scared to death, but tried looking tough. It was difficult when he all he saw was hell in a helmet walking towards him.

He was backed up against the wall now and I put my helmet on my motorcycle which was idling for me.

"Who are you girl?" he asked looking me up and down. I could tell he saw something he liked. "I like you I could always take you home, be one of my girls," Ralf said, winking at me. I had to try and fight the nausea that rose in me.

"Sorry," I said as I ran one hand down his arm and let my other grab a shuriken from my belt, "I'm already Adrian's girl." His eyes barely widened as he recognized who I was when my right hand struck out, making a long thick gash from his left temple to the corner of his mouth. As soon as it happened he let out a scream and I laughed.

"Now do you know why I am here?" I asked him, wanting to make him feel the same pain he has inflicted.

Ralf just whimpered. I knew I would have fun with this one I struck out again this time making double slashes on his arm, one going deep into his arm and the other just tearing bits of his shirt. We continued like this for a while, my adrenaline lowering.

I had just finished carving my signature R into his cheek, my way of signing my handy work. I knew I was close to done. "Now promise me asshole, you will pay Adrian back. Soon. And the next time I hear about you laying a single hand on a woman I will personally comeback and castrate you," I told him in a sweet voice laced with venom. He was so scared it was almost pitiful.

"Please, I swear I will, don't hurt me," he whimpered at me. I sneer at him, knowing what a worthless human he was. I turned my shuriken around in my hands one more time before swiping it as fast as I could across his face.

That was when I heard it. "HEY! What is going in?" A gruff accented voice. Russian most likely. Wait did he just yell at me? I looked over at him making sure I kept my bored composure. It was dark so I couldn't make up any if his features except that he was giant, like 6'7". He was walking towards me and I put up a hand to tell him to stop walking. He looked at it and paused for a moment before continuing. He was still far away so I did what I had to. I knew I had to leave before he got to me.

I took my shuriken and threw it forcefully at him. It hit him in the shoulder and was enough to stop him from coming any closer.

I leaned down and spoke quietly to Ralf, "You will heed my warnings and pay Adrian. Soon."

I turned, threw my helmet on and got out of there on my bike, not looking back. I was a little mad at getting interrupted early but I got my message across. I couldn't believe I left one of my shuriken with the giant foreigner though.

I made my way back to a shitty part of Portland and parked my bike next to my apartment building. It was old and falling apart, but I just needed somewhere to sleep, I didn't care.

I walked up the stairs, skipping the first one knowing it wouldn't hold. Once I got to my door I opened it threw my keys on the table and slammed the door. _Done. I'll come by in the morning with all the details ;) _I text Adrian. I looked at the clock- 1 in the morning. I didn't think I was actually out that late. I must have riden longer than I thought.

I kicked off my boots and hung my jacket over a chair in my kitchen. I put my wig back in its place in my closet. After, I made my way to the bed and lied down, hoping sleep would come to me. I was wrong. Instead, I remembered the first time I Adrian trained me.

_"This is my house," Adrian said slyly. I couldn't believe it. "More like a freaking mansion," I muttered under my breath. Adrian's grin grew into a full blown smile, pleased to have impressed me. His giant gates opened and we drove through and up to a modern yet elegant palace of a house. I had no idea what to think except that he must be filthy rich. I wonder how. _

_"Well Little Huntress, follow me. Bienvenue à votre nouvelle vie," Adrian said to me. I had no idea what he said. "What was that last part?" I asked, hoping he would explain. "I said: Welcome to your new life," he explained, " and by the way, you're going to have to learn French." I gaped at him. How am I supposed to learn a whole other language?! Adrian just smirked at me, "come now. You can meet my personal body guards." As if magic, two boys who actually looked about my age showed up in front of us. In the foyer, they both looked very cute. Both were built very muscular, tall but not giants. One had bright red curly hair and a boyish smile. The other had light brown/blondish hair with a look that said he and the other were very similar in their joking nature, but took their jobs very seriously. _

_"Little Huntress, this is Mason Ashford," Adrian said gesturing to the red head, "and Eddie Castile" he said and the other one waved. "Guys, this is..." Adrian looked lost, like he forgot he never asked my actual name. He stuck with Little Huntress. I cut in, "Rosemarie Hathaway. But call me Rose." Adrian smiled along with the boys. _

_"Well Mr. Ivashkov, you always know where to find the beautiful ones," Mason said, looking at me like a kid who just got a puppy. _

_"Mason," Adrian scolded, " how many times do I have to tell you to call me Adrian. I am 20, not 40." Mason looked down embarrassed while Eddie laughed at him. _

_"Well let's see what you can do Little Huntress," Adrian said walking away with Mason and Eddie. I had a feeling I would get along with those two quite well. I followed them and we went down a spiral staircase into some fancy gym with everything someone could want. _

_"Stay here Parum Venatrix," Adrian said as he walked out._

_The boys looked at each other with a sly smile and let out a small laugh. I gave them a confused look. Eddie was the one to answer me, "well Rose it looks like you already have a name and know what you are going to do." If possible I just got even more confused and it must have shown on my face because Eddie explained further. "Parum Venatrix means Little Huntress in Latin. With a lot of Adrian's business, people don't use their real names, as safety. I have a feeling you will definitely have a job that will require a different name, therefore Venatrix-huntress-is what we'll call you. I'll let Adrian explain the rest." Just as Eddie finished, Adrian walked back in black sweatpants and a light gray tanktop. _

_For the first time I noticed that Adrian actually was rather muscular-not bulky but lean. He handed me a pair of small black shorts a and a pastel pink tank-top with a smirk. I guess it was a good thing I wore a sports bra today. _

_"You can go in the other room and change if you would like," Adrian said like he wanted to talk to the two boys alone. I decided I would let them talk, "okay, I'll be right back." I walked past a couple of the weights and through the door. What I found surprised me. It was like a giant locker room, complete with larger than average lockers and fancy chairs that took the place if benches. I quickly shrugged off my jacket, sweatshirt and shirt, putting on the tank top he gave me and sweatshirt I had. I also took off my jeans and put on the shorts which were indeed extremely short. I have a feeling he grabbed them on purpose. At least I was shaved. _

_I walked back into the gym and found that Mason and Eddie were both also in work out clothes. As I got closer, all three boys turned to look at me. Mason and Eddie smiled at me and Adrian gave me a weird look, glancing at my sweatshirt. I really hoped he wouldn't ask me why I was wearing it or to take it off. _

_"Well Venatrix, let's see what you've got," Mason said to me. It was going to take a while to get used to this whole name thing. First they led me to an indoor track where I ran 4 miles. They were all impressed with my time, not knowing that I actually worked out and liked gym class. _

_Next was weight training, which was not as impressive as my laps but still better than what they expected. I still managed to give them 20 chin-ups though. After, we finally got to weapons they taught me how to shoot accurately, and use a knife effectively. As soon as I saw their arrangement of bladed weapons I was a goner. It was like I had gone to heaven. They had told me earlier that everyone that worked for Adrian had a specialty. Well I had found mine. Any and every instrument with a blade. I think all the boys noticed my fascination and let me admire them. Mason and Eddie with admiration and a little bit of fear, Adrian with pleasure and what looks like a little bit of uneasiness. I knew I would fit in well here. _

Coming back to reality, I remembered how quick I picked up on everything I needed to do to work for Adrian. They said I was a natural and were surprised I was so good. Thinking about how well I was doing sometimes, I fell into a deep sleep plagued with the voice of a Russian.

* * *

I woke up early this morning, at 9 o'clock. I know, I know, that is not early for most people, but when I am used to waking up at 12, anything before is 11 early. I knew that today I would head to Adrian's to let him know how it went last night. I got up, and began getting ready for the day. I started the water, and while I waited the 5 minutes for it to actually warm up, I picked out my clothes. I chose a pair of black lacy underwear and bra, a black dress with a sweetheart neckline and ended mid-thigh, with pair of new shiny combat boots and my ever present leather jacket.. I would look cute and deadly. I jumped in the shower and quickly washed my hair and body, shaving anything that needed to be shaved, dried off and put my clothes on. I added black mascara and eyeliner with a deep purple lipstick, knowing it would drive Adrian mad. I strapped and concealed my holster on me and added one of my cooler knives and added the finishing touch: my red wig. I didn't really like wearing it, but as Venatrix I had to hide my greatest asset: my hair.

I grabbed my keys and sped off down the familiar route on my motorcycle. I got to the grand gates that kept the rest of the world from entering Adrian's home. I parked my motorcycle by the fountain in the front and jogged my way to the front door. I knocked twice and was granted with Adrian's beautiful shining face- the one that says he woke up 2 minutes ago and wants to kill whoever knocked on his door. Once he realized it was me he did his usual sweep of my body to check for any injuries, and then did another to check me out and see what I was wearing. Once he saw my choices his eyes widened and he looked much more lively..._everywhere_. ONce he glanced at my lips and saw how plump and enjoyable they looked, he all but grabbed my hand and dragged me into the house.

"Well don't just stand there Little Huntress, come in and relive your wonderful night, from start to finish," he said, winking at me. I could tell how excited he was just thinking about me going out there and doing his dirty work, fixing his problems. I think it was his version of a housewife. He brought me into his living room, where there were multiple large couches and an enormous tv. the couch we sat on was white soft fabric that screamed intense money. He sat down and pulled me down on top of him so he was sitting there and I had my knees on either side of his hips, my thighs straddling his body; it was a good thing this dress is stretchy. He wrapped his arms around my waist and mine went around his neck. We locked eyes and I almost got lost in those emerald green pools. I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, and moved my lips to his ear. "Well first, I hunted him down in some dirty alleyway, and parked my bike. I left it waiting for me to ride it again," I whispered in his ear and purred the last few words as I bit softly on his ear, letting my teeth lightly graze. "Et puis _[And then]_?" He growled as his hands grasped my hips.

"I took my favorite baby and carved him up good," I whispered as I stopped to kiss his bare shoulder, "I told him how I don't like it much when boys hit their girls, and that h it was not very polite for him to assume I would be his girl." Adrian let out a low growl at that. He hated when anyone thought they could have me, even when there was no chance in Hell of it happening.

"Don't worry, baby," I whispered, leaving a trail of kisses from his shoulder up his neck and just behind his ear, sucking on that sweet spot that got a groan out of him, "I showed him that I was your girl. He is going to have a permanent reminder as I left my signature nice and deep on his cheek. He screamed nice and loud for that one." I moved my hips against his and immediately found myself no longe straddling him but on my back on the couch. He leaned down, pressing his lean body against mine and passionately kissed me. I took his bottom lip in mine and sucked lightly before letting it slip between my teeth, knowing it would drive him mad. His tongue traced my lips, asking for permission to enter- something that I would gladly give to him in this moment.

Our tongues fought for dominance but eventually his won, sliding and tasting every bit of my mouth. His lips moved down and attached themselves to my neck where he sucked and nibbled at the sensitive parts. I couldn't help the moans that came out of my mouth as his fingers dug deeper into hips, causing pleasurable pain, and mine dug into his shoulders, trying to keep myself together and not show how wild he actually drives me. "There is more to tell, my dear. I can see it in your lust filled eyes," Adrian spoke as he moved his face in front of mine. one hand cupped my face while the other wrapped itself around my neck and into my hair.

His lips moved back to leaving hot, open mouthed kisses along my jaw, while he moved his hips against mine. I could feel how hard he already was and knew this next part would probably drive him crazy. "He begged and pleaded with me to stop," I all but whimpered at the feeling of him against me, "but I got interrupted by some-" Adrian cut me off, his head jerking up, eyes blazing with anger, directed not at me, but at someone who thought they could interrupt my fun. "My dear, who intruded on your special time?" he asked rather carefully. "Some giant ass Russian. It is okay, I was nearly done, but I did manage to throw one of my shuriken and get him in the shoulder," I said against his neck, somewhat nervous if Adrian would be mad. Instead he full out laughed he replied with, "I expect no less Little Huntress. No less." And we resumed where we left off, leaving hot kisses everywhere, teeth grazing skin, and hips moving in synchronization. He shifted us so that he could get his hands in my jacket and began sliding it off, as he left a hickey right on my collarbone.

"Adrian," I said with my voice hard. He should no better than to try and take off my jacket right now, especially somewhere we could be easily interrupted. "Sweetheart, you are going to have to get over it sometime. You are absolutely beautiful. Every single part of you no matter what," He murmured in my ear, "unless there is something else you need to tell me about last night or the nights before." I could tell he was a second from becoming very serious, so before that could happen I made sure to reassure him. "I am absolutely fine. There is nothing that you need to worry about," I said quickly. "Rooose," adrian said sternly. Shit he used my actual name. "I promise," I said and gave him a deep kiss while my hands moved to his lower abdomen and gently rubbed circles. This seemed to have made him forget about it temporarily, though I knew the situation would come up again later.

One of his hands gently made there way up my dress, sliding over my knife, I felt him get even harder, and up to trace the edges of my underwear- his touches were so soft it was driving me mad. I growled and flipped us, putting em on top and him on bottom where i ground my hips into his at a much faster pace. And then the impossible happened.

There was a knock at the door and neither Adrian nor I stopped to see who it was. Eddie awkwardly said, "Boss there is guy here to see you. Want us to send him in orrrr…" Adrian grunted in response to something I did but I hoped Eddie took it as a no. Adrian and I never really went all the way, he had other girls who would please him like that, but I was the only one who could tease him and drive him mad like this. I reached down a hand and stroked him through his pajama bottoms as his hand brushed painfully slow against my core. That's when I heard an uncomfortable clearing of the throat and strangled chuckles from who must be Mason and Eddie. I glanced up for a second to see who they thought was worth intruding on us but as soon as i saw the man i jumped up, grabbed my knife and crouched in a fighting position between the Russian who had seen me last night and Adrian.


	4. The Impossible

AN: I know some people were uncomfortable reading the rose and Adrian part but The story is rated M. Next time I will make sure I mark it. Also this is Rose/Dimitri, you will see them together, so do not fret. Please review and tell me if there is anything in particular that you would like to see! I already have an outline of how the story is going to go but I'm always open to suggestions! I am also sorry for taking so long to upload. I spent a week in Paris so I never got a chance to complete this chapter and I have some personal stuff going on. I will try and update more consistently!

DPOV

I had already called Abe and told him I had arrived and spent the day looking around Portland for this girl. The conversation did not end pleasantly.

_"Have you found her?" Abe's voice rose as soon as he picked up my call. "Uhm no sir, I only got here yesterday afternoon. I did look around and scouted the city..." I said trailing off. Abe immediately realized something was wrong. "What is it boy? Spit it out," Abe's voice was venomous. I knew he would want to know if anything was holding up the search for this girl._

_"Last night I found a girl...teaching some loser a lesson, I guess you can say. She was good. Skilled. She had a burning passion in her and some attitude. She is working with some guy, Adrian. I was wondering if you could find me some information on her and him. She goes by the name Venatrix." When I finished, Abe actually let out a chuckle. "That's not her real name. Venatrix is Latin for Huntress," Abe said sounding amused. "I will get some information on them and call you back in ten," Abe finished and hung up._

_I knew that when he called me back he would have any and all information I would need. I also knew that I would have to ask him what the deal was with this Rosemarie Hathaway. Why was he so intent on her? I was starting to worry after 12 minutes and he still hadn't called back. After 15 my phone finally started buzzing, "Zmey?" I said uncomfortably. He always gave himself 10 minutes to find out information but it never took him more than 5 to know their whole families and friends life story. "Well I found out what I could," Abe started sound extremely irritated. "Adrian was easy. He is Adrian Ivashkov heir to billions. His family is very powerful in the states but he is known for other business. Most known for drugs and weapons trading. When someone gets in his way he sends out one of his own to deal with it any way they please. Each of his own has their signature ways and names they go by on the street. These people don't have their crimes associated with their personal names. He has two body guards Mason Ashford and Eddison Castile. He's 20 years old and lives in a moderately large house," Abe went on and on and told me where he lived._

_"Okay so what about Venatrix? She must be one of the special ones. Plus with her extensive use of knives that must be her specialty," I asked hesitantly. He hadn't mentioned her once. "That is where the problem occurs. Venatrix. She is one of Adrian's girls." Abe stops there. I expect him to continue but he doesn't. "Aannnndd...?" I ask seeing if there was more. "And NOTHING! Absolutely nothing! There is no information on her. She is kept more hidden than the rest and I can't figure out why," Abe yelled through the phone and I flinched. Abe was not someone I want to get angry. "That's fine. If I go to Ivashkov I can ask him where I can find her. I think she could be good to have on our side, but I'll need to find out what she can do first. I'll call you when I find out anything about both girls," I say abruptly. I had a feeling Abe wanted to call everyone and see who she is. If there is one thing Ibrahim Mazur hates more than anything, it is something that is a mystery to him. "Good. I don't have a good feeling about Rosemarie so focus on her. Call me later," with that Abe hung up._

I was now standing in front of Ivashkovs door. His house was alright, but I lived in a small castle so it didn't impress me that much. As soon as I knocked on the door, I grew nervous. I turned around and then noticed something: a black motorcycle. It looked like the same one Venatrix rode.

Impossible. How lucky could a man get? If she was here, then that could make my life a whole lot easier. Maybe my luck was turning around.

My thoughts were interrupted when two guys, Ivashkov's bodyguards most likely.

"Who are you and what business do you have here?" the one with bright red hair asked me. I knew I should get along with them since I didn't want to go through them in order to talk to Ivashkov. "Dimitri Belikov. I'm here to speak with Mr. Adrian Ivashkov," I address both of them. The one who had not yet spoken looked shocked. It seems he has heard of me. He whispered something into the others ear and nodded. They led me through to a pair of doors that looked hastily closed.

The red haired bodyguard stayed with me while the other slipped into the room. "I hope you know what you're doing," the redhead said to me as we waited. It was difficult to hear much from the room the other entered but he came out soon after looking quite uncomfortable.

"They at it again, Eddie?" The redhead asked the other. "Yes, I'm not sure what we should do," Eddie responded. "Did he acknowledge you?" Eddie sighed, "Yes but it could have not been a response to me also. You know how he gets."

I stood there quietly, wondering what they could be going on about.

"Whatever lets just go in," the redhead finally decided. He opened the door and let me walk in. I found a large living room that looked very expensive. The two boys took up positions by the door behind me but sounded like they were choking as they struggled to contain their laughter at my expression. In the center of the room was a large couch that was playing host to two people getting very involved with each other. I was standing there very long and when I heard a groan leave the man that I expected to be Adrian Ivashkov I cleared my throat uncomfortably, hoping they would stop.

The girl looked up at me and I noticed immediately as I saw her face that it was her. Venatrix. For some reason rage boiled inside me. I mentally shook myself, I had no right to feel jealous about some random, beautiful, dangerous girl.

Sooner than I could have imagined, Venatrix was up and crouched in front of the man, a knife in her hand that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Well what a turn of events.


	5. Do We Trust Him or Not?

I crouched in front of Adrian with my knife out, ensuring that I would be able to protect him. Glancing over by Eddie and Mason, I saw that they were both frozen and very confused at what was going on. The Russian just looked slightly amused and a little nervous, seeing as we both knew how talented I was with blades and he would be on the receiving end this time.

I heard Adrian walk up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder. "_Qu'est-ce_ _que_ _c'est__, __Parum_ _Venatrix__? [What is it, Little Huntress?]_" Adrian asked, though it did not look like he trusted this guy either. "_C'est lui. Il est l'homme de la nuit dernière. [__It's_ _him__. __The guy from last night.]_" Adrian stiffened at my words. I knew that if he wasn't before, he was definitely on edge now. Mason and Eddie did not know the full story but seemed to get the hint that the guy was dangerous, and were fully prepared to do whatever it was they must.

The Russian I the middle looked confused at our interaction. It was obvious that the guy did not speak French, so at least we had the upper hand here. Adrian moved so he was slightly in front of me and said "_Ma __chère__. __Je vais prendre soin de cela. S'il_ _vous__plait essayer de ne pas __parler__. [My dear. I will take care of this. Please try not to speak.]" _

Adrian looked at the Russian and extended his hand, "Adrian Ivashkov." They shook hands and the Russian responded with a heavy accent, "Dimitri Belikov. It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Ivashkov." From the look on Adrian's face I could tell that he immediately recognized him from Belikov's name. "Well Belikov, what do I owe this visit? You are quite a long way from home," Adrian asked. I could tell he was quite curious about the giant standing in the middle of the room.

For some reason it seemed as though Adrian only had a sliver of Dimitri Belikov's attention- the rest of it seemed to focus on me. He was giving me this look like I was a puzzle he had to solve and it was beginning to freak me out. "Well, when I heard this was your dominion, I figured you may be able to help me out. I was hired to come here and track down some girl who is suspected to be here in Portland," Dimitri spoke easily as his eyes followed me as I walked back to sit on the couch. The big boys could handle themselves after all.

"_Adrian, puis-je enlever cette perruque? Vous savez combien il me rend fou. __[Adrian, can I take off this wig? You know how much it makes me crazy.]" _I ask, knowing he may want to make sure this Belikov guy does not have an accurate description of exactly what I look like. "_Non, ma ch__è__re. Je ne pense pas que ce soit une bonne idée. __[No, my dear. I don't think that that is a good idea.]_" I sigh. I know he is right, but the wig drives me crazy sometimes. Especially since my hair is actually great.

Just then someone walked into the room from the doors behind me. I turned around to see a certain Pyromaniac who was like a brother to me. I got up and ran to him, jumping into his arms. My arms locked around his neck and his around my waist, swinging me around. "Pyro, I have missed you! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" I say to the silly boy. "Hey, V! I've missed you too," he says as he gently ruffles the hair of my wig. I step back to get a good look at him. He is pretty tall, with nice jet black hair, and ice blue eyes. He was always fit but it was more noticeable today. It was none of these things that got my attention though. It was what he was wearing- or rather what he got _on _what he was wearing. His navy button down shirt was rolled up to his elbows and reeked of smoke. His dark jeans were also covered in ash while the sleeves of his shirt looked singed.

I smirked at the boy, "Wow Pyro, the job get a little too _heated _for you? You look like you went on a trip to hell with all those scorch marks." He grins devilishly at me, "You know I burn a place up just by walking in Ro-"

"FIRE BOY," Adrian growled at Christian, "_Nous __avons__un invitée. [We have a guest.]_" Christian paled and looked around the room, obviously not noticing that there was anyone besides Adrian and I. "Whoops, sorry boss," he said heading over to the TV. He flipped on the news and it was just ending a story about a group who died in a fiery gas explosion. Everyone except Dimitri was unconcerned. Adrian sighed, "Really Pyro? A gas explosion? What did you do, leave the stove on and burn them alive?" I grinned at Christian, knowing full well that he would never get caught. Eddie and Mason were chuckling quietly, Adrian look fully exasperated, Christian looked so smug and pleased that you would think he got a new puppy, and the one and only Dimitri Belikov looked so confused that I burst out laughing. This guy has no idea what he just walked into.

"Adrian, you might want to finish talking with your guest know," I said as I was still gasping for air at the look the giant Russian had on his face. "Ahh, yes," Adrian said turning back to his uninvited guest, "Can you tell me why you, or whoever hired you, wants to find this person?" Belikov looked uncomfortable at this, "My employer did not tell me, and he is not a man that you just ask." That is suspicious. "Okay well who hired you?" I asked, figuring that might give us a little insight.

Instead of answering right away, Belikov stood there and hesitated. He seemed to be contemplating whether or not he should let all of us know. Adrian then stepped in, "You might as well tell us. We don't get ourselves into trouble without knowing what type of trouble it is." Belikov sighed, "The ma that hired me is Ibrahim Mazur."

"Zmey," Christian whispered. At that name, the entire room froze. It appeared that they were all either in complete shock or absolutely terrified of the name mentioned. I on the other hand was impressed. This guy must be good if Zmey hired him. The Russian seemed to notice that I did not have the average reaction and looked at me questioningly. "You must be real good if Mazur chose you to do this. Why did he choose you?" I asked, feeling like this was very important. Dimitri let a small smirk shine through, "He chose me because, as you said, I am the best. He wants it done and done quickly. I am the best tracker there is so naturally, he picked me."

At that, everybody seemed to snap out of their trance. "Okay we will help you, but you need to give us some information. Name, gender, race, age, a picture if you have one, how long she has been missing," Adrian started. Belikov looked surprised, but pleased at our agreement to help. "I will send you a packet with all the information you need," Belikov said, "Also, after seeing Venatrix…perform…last night, I would love to see what she can really do on a difficult task." Adrian looked thoughtful. I couldn't believe that he was actually contemplating letting this guy tag along with me on my next project. "Yes, I believe that may be a good idea. I will call you when," Adrian agreed. Belikov turned around to walk out, but paused just before the door and turned around to give us all the biggest surprise of the century. "The name of the girl I am searching for is Rosemarie Hathaway. Ill send the information over soon as possible," Belikov said before turning and walking out the front door.

The entire room froze. Neither Eddie nor Mason nor Adrian nor Christian nor I said or moved or barely breathed. This was not happening. What did they know? HOW did they know? And what the hell does Ibrahim Mazur want with me? Naturally I said the first thing that popped into my head, "What the ACTUAL FUCK!?"

And then everything went black.


	6. The Panic

**AN: I'm sorry that I haven't updated recently. Life has been hectic, but I am out for Summer now and should have internet for the rest of the time. Tell me if there is anything you would like to happen. I already have a basic layout of where I want the story to go but not all the finer details yet. Please review, follow and favorite!**

_All I could hear was my blood pumping through my body. My head was throbbing, but I knew I couldn't stop running. He found me here. How did he find me? This can't be happening. Adrian promised me, he promised I would be safe! _

_"ROSE!" I heard the voice echoing through the street still. Tears were streaming down my face and I knew this was it. I couldn't hide from my life anymore. I felt my legs fail me and I collapsed on the ground. It felt like it had been hours when I finally saw him. And her. _

_I couldn't believe it. "Rose, come on babe! We are going to be late!" The guy yelled as the girl stormed down the sidewalk. He wasn't after me. It wasn't Jessy. Just some random guy and a girl named Rose. _

"Ughhh," I groaned softly as I opened my eyes to a blinding light. I quickly shut them, not wanting to be blind. "She better not be going to fucking sleep," Christian whispered from somewhere near me. Wait, Christian? Why was he so close and who is he talking to?

I groaned again. Shit. I passed out after that Russian decided to ruin my life. I slowly opened my eyes and was immediately greeted by Adrian and Christians hovering faces. I saw the concern in their eyes and immediately remembered my flashback I had and who Dimitri Belikov is looking for: me.

"Parum Venatrix" Adrian started. I knew he had to of been really nervous seeing me this weak. "I'm fine, I'm fine," I said, struggling to sit up. Adrian sighed, knowing it would be useless to argue. I finally situated myself so I was sitting on the edge on the couch. Adrian was sitting on the edge of the coffee table and Christian was standing behind him.

Then Christian spoke up, "So what are we going to do? Because no way in hell are we letting that giant foreigner take you anywhere, let alone find out who you are." "Damn right. The first thing we need to do is find out who hinted at them that they saw you here. Then I'm going to let you have your fun, ma chère," Adrian spoke quickly, the anger lining his features. "We also need to figure out what we are going to do about Zmey," Christian spat as if the name burned his tongue. As they continued to speak, I started zoning out.

"I guess we could pretend she died or something. Fake a death?" I heard Adrian say.

I started to panic and before Adrian had time to even notice I was already in the middle of an anxiety attack. I could feel my throat closing, my heart pounding in my throat, black spots dancing around the edge of my vision. I could feel myself start hyperventilating and the nausea rise in me along with the shaking my body began. I was going to be the reason my friends, _my family, _got hurt. I saw Christians eyes widen as he took in my appearance and noticed the telltale signs of an anxiety attack as he often had them after his parents got killed. I could tell he was surprised because he never saw me as anything but strong.

"Oh no," I gasped. As soon as I spoke Adrian jumped into action. "Get me a blanket! NOW!" Adrian barked at Christian when he didn't move. Christian ran out of the room to fetch the blanket, apparently just taking in the shivers wracking my body. Adrian picked me up and moved me over so he was sitting on the couch and I was on his lap. He knew what to do in these situations as I used to have them often.

Christian came back and wrapped the blanket around me and just stood there taking in my appearance. I could only imagine what he saw at this moment. My body shaking violently, my normal tanned complexion paled significantly, tears forming in my eyes, struggling to breathe as I gasped for air. I couldn't bare to have him, or anyone else, see me as weak.

Adrian had his arms wrapped around me and was murmuring words of comfort to me but with Christian looking at me with such pity, I just got more worked up. "Adrian," I managed to gasp out. As he saw my widened fear-filled eyes and saw Christian, recognizing the problem immediately. "Christian. Out. Now," Adrian barked at him, irritated he hadn't realized earlier. Christian reasonably looked horrified and confused. "What? But-" Christian was interrupted quickly. "NOW," Adrian growled. Christian knew that look and immediately back out of the room. By now I couldn't feel my body and was on the verge of passing out again. Adrian quickly turned his attention to me as the tears rolled down my face. He wrapped me up in his lap and I snuggled my head into his neck, still shaking and unable to breathe.

"Little Huntress. _Rose._ You are okay. You are safe. Nobody will hurt you. I won't let anyone get to you or find you ma chère. You are going to be alright it is all alright," Adrian continued giving me comfort, switching languages and rubbing small slow circles on my back.

Eventually, my breathing slowed and my heart calmed down as the shaking stopped. "Little Huntress?" Adrian asked. I knew I should look at him, but I was filled with embarrassment. It has been 3 years since he witnessed my last anxiety attack. I hoped that it wouldn't come up, but I knew he was bound to ask since he thought they had stopped. "_Rose,"_ Adrian spoke again, but I just hid my face more so in his chest, "Look at me, Rose." Reluctantly I raised my face so he could see me but I still refused to look him in the face. "Rose," he said softly, lifting my chin with his fingers, "please look at me. You know the sooner this is over, the better. Are you feeling better?" I nodded, meeting his eyes for the first time. I could see the worry, but also the fear that he couldn't do anything to help once again.

"I'm fine. I swear. Please just-just don't..." I said looking down again. Adrian held me tighter, "My little rose, you know I must. This one came on a lot faster than the last one you had. Plus it's been three years since your last one." I remained silent at that because they had gradually come on faster and faster. That was actually normal. I felt Adrian shift slightly trying to look at my face. "Rose, what aren't you tell me?" I wish he didn't know me so well. "This wasn't the first one since then," I mumbled quietly into his chest even though I knew he would still catch every word I uttered. I felt him stiffen around me and I kept my head down, knowing the anger would not be far off.

When he spoke again his voice was strained, "When was the last one Rose?" I didn't answer. I couldn't. I knew he would be mad and disappointed in me. "Rose if you don't answer me I will make sure you don't have a way to hide it anymore. You will live here ," Adrian spoke gently but there was no question of his authority. "Last Wednesday," I finally spoke. He sighed and moved so he was once again sitting on the coffee table across from me. "My little rose, we have been through this before. I care for you so much. I want to-no, need to- help you. When I took you in I promised you your freedom but I also promised to protect you. That includes from yourself my dear. How am I supposed to help you, protect you, when you hide these things from me. I realize now that you have probably not recovered from anything, so no more hiding," he moved to kneel in front of me. Slowly, Adrian lifted his hands to cup my face, "I promise I'll take care of you. I'll take care of this situation okay? No one will take you anywhere you don't want to be."

I nodded softly, "I know you will. All of you. I'm just..." I paused, "I'm just so scared. I know I shouldn't be. I can't be weak. But I'm terrified. What do these people want from me? Why are they still looking?"

"It doesn't matter. They will never get you," Adrian said fiercely. I never thought someone could care so much for me. I surged forward and hugged Adrian. "Thank you," I whispered in his ear. "I should probably get home," I said as I stood up. As I walked away Adrian grabbed my arm, "I really hate that place you're living in ma chère, please let me give you an upgrade. It's not safe there and it's dirty. You deserve better. You know I would love for you to stay here, but I can always buy you a house nearby. Or maybe a penthouse. I know you like the apartment size but just think about what you could-" I cut him off there, not wanting to hear him go on and on about his plan to keep me close. "Adrian I like my place, it works for me and I pay for it with the money I get from your jobs. I am not going to take advantage of your school boy crush on me like that," I said as I winked at him. We both knew he would do anything for me.

"Go my sweet, come by tomorrow. Maybe we can train alright?" Adrian said softly. I nodded and left, knowing Adrian must have some master plan.

Adrian POV

I watched Rose leave and knew this would be tough on all of this. We were a family and nobody messed with one of us without getting all of us. I could not believe this was happening. My heart was racing and I was filled with panic. Rose might not realize it but I love her so much. There had to be something else going on. We had to have had a leak or something. I moved over to the bar because I knew I couldn't get any of this done without a drink.

Just then Andre walked in, "Hey boss, what's going on? You look kind of stressed." As Andre placed himself on the counter, I headed to get a glass of scotch. Andre had always been pretty good looking. He was tall with bright green eyes, his hair was a bright blond and shaggy, giving him a bad boy image.

"Well Andre, it seems that our little Rose has a problem," as soon as I finished, Andre had already become serious and I could see the wheels turning in his head.

"What happened?" Andre demanded, knowing I wouldn't mention it if I didn't need him. Normally I would try not to discuss business about my people with Andre as they can typically handle themselves, but I knew Andre saw Rose as a little sister. I would also need his help with this since he was my specialist when someone snitched within their own organization, whether it be an inside job in my business or something someone else is concerned about their own affairs.

"Dimitri Belikov, Russian mobster, showed up looking for Rose. He was sent by someone though. And not just anybody," I was quiet for a moment. I wasn't stupid enough to not be terrified of the man. He was known for being just as brutal as his own men. "Ibrahim Mazur- aka Zmey," I spoke and saw fear flash through Andre's eyes, "that is who is searching for her."

"No fucking way, why does that guy want her? It's not like her and Venatrix are associated. The guy would have no clue how good she was so he couldn't want her for his own business. And how the hell did he get a tip off that she was here?" As Andre spoke, his voice raised until he was shouting. He let out his frustrations and all of a sudden he appeared to be ready to go out and kill Zmey himself.

"Andre , there's only one way someone could have tipped off Abe," I said quietly knowing Andre freak out. And it appeared that I was right.

"A leak. We have to have a leak. There is a snitch with us and they just made the biggest mistake of their lives. They try to ruin Rose, well what a wrong fucking move. How dare they think we won't do everything in our power to protect that girl! Fuck!" Andre slammed his fist into the bar. I could tell he was concerned about Rose, not to mention the fact that having a snitch in our own organization could be detrimental and was overall infuriating.

"Relax Andre. We will find them. We need to make a list of everyone who knows Rose is Venatrix, people who could possibly know, and those who have anything against her. We are gonna need a list of people from her old life. Also, dig up some stuff on Mazur and Belikov. I need some more info on those two. We need to figure this out soon before Rose falls apart. Tell no one at all. Only people aware so far are you, me, Rose and Christian. Actually I need you to tell Lissa too. She will be able to hack anything we need and she will be able to help you," I spoke quickly to him. I knew I had to be in control otherwise this could all end terribly.

Andre responded quickly, "Will do boss. I'll call you if I have anything and we can meet up. Don't discuss anything to do with this over text, email, call, etc. Tell the others this as well. I'll talk to Lissa and get to work. Later." With that, Andre got up and rushed out of the room.

I got up and headed to look at the packet Belikov left, might as well get to work.

Rose POV

I could feel the wind whipping around me, giving me the familiar comfortable feel. It was freeing and that is what I needed after the events that unfolded at Adrian's. I had been riding for hours now and it was pitch black out. Not a star could be seen through all the clouds, but it helped me to clear my mind. I knew now that Adrian would do everything in his power to protect me, not that I needed it. I was a badass hunter. I could easily handle myself and kill anyone who threatened me. I tried to keep my confidence as I parked my bike near my run down apartment.

I made the familiar trek up to mine but stopped outside the door. The door was slightly open and I knew for sure I had not left it like that. Carefully and quietly I grabbed my knife from its strap and made my way into my place. Everything seemed alright so far, that is until I went to my bedroom. That's when I saw it. A note pinned to my bedroom door. It read:

**Well Parum Venatrix, looks like you've got some trouble coming to you. You better watch your back or you might just get burned. **

I picked up the note and shoved it into my boot for safe keeping. I grabbed my phone and dialed Adrian's number.

"Parum Venatrix what is wrong?" Adrian asked quickly.

I started to speak, "I think you were right Adrian, I do need a new-" my words were cut off when I heard a giant explosion go off below me. "What the hell?" I said out loud accidentally.

I heard the panic in Adrian's voice as he spoke, his sentences running together, "what's happening? What is going on do you need help where are you?"

Just as I was about to answer I smelt the smoke before I saw it coming up through the floor. I threw open my apartment door to find the outside completely blocked by flames.

"Well shit," I said angrily into my phone, "right when I thought my life couldn't get any worse."


End file.
